Vorheriger Bericht
Frauen in der Naturwissenschaft
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Organismic Biology, Evolutionary Biology and Palaeobiology (OEP-Biology) (M.Sc.)
I studied evolution and behaviour of parasitoid wasps. Topic : Interspecific differences in behavioural traits have been investigated only in few parasitoid wasp species. Here we show the interspecific phenotypic differences of complex behavioural traits in parasitoid wasps, Nasonia spp. The differences reflect local adaptations and might fortify the prezygotic isolation in sympatric populations, i.e., being directly related to speciation. We identified and quantified the interspecific differences of host finding traits in two closely related species, Nasonia vitripennis (Walker, 1835) and Nasonia longicornis (Darling, 1990). Both wasps parasitize fly puparia, are microsympatric and interfertile, but the former is a host and habitat generalist and the latter is a specialist. For the study we used laboratory grown strains for both generalists (AscymCX) and specialists (IV7 & NLMN8510).
The behavioural trait in focus is host acceptance time, i.e., the time a female specimens needs from encountering the host to starting the process of oviposition. We demonstrated that the expression of the trait is more related to strain than to species, depending on the previous host experience of the females. We hypothesize that strain behave as an individual identity for host finding traits. This phenotypic plasticity may be beneficial for a strain that encounters and parasitizes a range of host species in the nature. Our findings showed that strain is important at different stages of host selection, regardless of whether the host is a generalist or a specialist. It's important to emphasise what factors other than interspecific differences could affect differences between and within species. Other than prezygotic isolation, it is critical to address factors that separate species and with species that aid in the formation of new species in the long run of speciation. Finally, we discussed the possible explanations for these differences and their consequences on our understanding of parasitoid wasp speciation and diversification.
The behavioural trait in focus is host acceptance time, i.e., the time a female specimens needs from encountering the host to starting the process of oviposition. We demonstrated that the expression of the trait is more related to strain than to species, depending on the previous host experience of the females. We hypothesize that strain behave as an individual identity for host finding traits. This phenotypic plasticity may be beneficial for a strain that encounters and parasitizes a range of host species in the nature. Our findings showed that strain is important at different stages of host selection, regardless of whether the host is a generalist or a specialist. It's important to emphasise what factors other than interspecific differences could affect differences between and within species. Other than prezygotic isolation, it is critical to address factors that separate species and with species that aid in the formation of new species in the long run of speciation. Finally, we discussed the possible explanations for these differences and their consequences on our understanding of parasitoid wasp speciation and diversification.